Epilogue
The November sun was warm enough that we didn’t need jackets, but there was a breeze coming off the Aegean that kept things comfortable.
An archway of olive branches and white roses stood at the edge of the terrace, with rows of chairs on either side facing the water. The florist had outdone herself.
We waited just inside the villa’s French doors, out of sight from the guests. Music swelled, something modern with a deep bass line, and that was our cue.
Tia shifted Yianna to one arm and linked the other through mine. “Ready, Mom?”
Deanna in her wedding dress...
I nodded, not trusting my voice just yet.
We stepped into view, and I could feel every eye turn toward us. But mine went straight to Aris at the end of the aisle.
He stood beneath the archway in a perfectly tailored charcoal suit, and the look on his face when he saw me made my breath catch. Like I was the only person in the world. Like I’d always been the only person in the world.
Santo stood next to his father, holding a sleeping Perry. He was grinning at Tia as we approached.
My gaze swept the guests as we walked. Domna and Irida sat in the front row next to Mama Nettie and Kandi, dabbing at their eyes. Konstantin held baby TJ while Kayla sat beside him. The rest of the Christakis family filled the rows, along with friends from Montrose who’d made the trip.
Kevin sat three rows back on the aisle, and his expression was everything I didn’t know I needed to see. His mouth had actually fallen open. His eyes moved from my dress to Aris waiting at the altar, then back to me.
It had been Aris’s idea to invite Kevin and the rest of Tia’s paternal family to Greece for Thanksgiving weekend. It was a generous gesture on the surface.
In reality, it was a calculated move by a man who never forgot a slight. Kevin had kissed me the previous Thanksgiving, and Aris had been slow-burning about it ever since.
I should have been appalled by the pettiness of it. Instead, I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling as I walked past Kevin’s row.
It didn’t work. By the time I reached the archway, I wasn’t even trying.
When we reached the archway, Tia kissed my cheek and whispered, “I love you, Mom.”
My throat tightened. We’d returned to our pre-Greece mother-daughter relationship, though I hovered less now, trusting her to make the best decisions for her life and coming to me whenever she needed my advice. That closeness we’d rebuilt meant everything, especially on a day like this.
“Love you too, baby.”
Tia stepped aside to take her place beside me, and I turned to face Aris fully.
He reached for my hands. “You are the most beautiful bride, yes.”
I smiled in response.
The priest began speaking in English, translating key portions into Greek. I barely heard any of it. All I could focus on was Aris’s face, the way his thumbs stroked across my knuckles, and the feeling that after everything we’d been through, we’d made it to this moment.
“Deanna,” the officiant said, pulling me back to the present. “Do you take Aristides to be your husband, to love and cherish, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, as long as you both shall live?”
I didn’t hesitate. “I do.”
“And Aristides, do you take Deanna to be your wife, to love and cherish, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, as long as you both shall live?”
“I do,” Aris said, his voice carrying across the terrace.
Santo stepped forward with the rings, and Aris slid mine onto my finger. Then I took his ring and slid it onto his.
“By the power vested in me,” the priest announced, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
Aris didn’t wait for the words to fully leave the man’s mouth. He drew me close and kissed me deeply, thoroughly.
Applause erupted around us. Cheers in both English and Greek.
The reception was set up in the main courtyard of the Thalassía, with long tables draped in ivory linens and centerpieces mixing olive branches with autumn flowers.
The November evening was cool enough that they’d set up heat lamps around the perimeter, but the dancing and the crowd kept things warm.
The caterers had outdone themselves with the food. American Thanksgiving dishes sat right alongside Greek specialties. The fusion was perfect, just like our families trying to blend together.
I sat at the head table with Aris, watching our guests eat and laugh and celebrate. Tia and Santo were at a nearby table. The twins, along with TJ were being passed around, and I resisted the urge to go check on them every five minutes.
“They are fine, yes,” Aris murmured, reading my mind. He lifted my hand and pressed a kiss to my knuckles. “Nettie has them. Mother has them. Half the family is hovering. They are the most protected babies in all of Greece.”
“I know. I just—”
“You are their mother. Of course you worry.” His thumb stroked across my wedding rings. “But tonight, we celebrate us. Yes?”
I nodded, leaning into him.
Deanna and Aris sitting together at their reception...
Three months ago, Aris had gifted me a condo in Athens where I could run my business without being confined to the estate. I’d been going three times a week, and it had given me back a piece of myself.
“I’m happy,” I said, and my voice came out thick. “Really happy, Aris.”
He pulled me into an embrace. “Good,” he said against my hair. Then, quieter: “That is all I have ever wanted for you.”
I had to blink hard to keep from crying. I took a slow breath.
Across the courtyard, I spotted Kevin sitting alone at a table near the back. He’d barely touched his food. Hadn’t spoken to anyone. Just sat there looking miserable while everyone around him celebrated.
“He looks uncomfortable,” I observed.
“He should be.” Aris didn’t glance in Kevin’s direction. “He put his lips on what was mine.”
“That was over a year ago, and we weren’t even a couple.”
“I do not care.” Aris’s voice dropped lower. “You were carrying my children. This, it made you mine whether or not we had declared it, yes.”
We’d had this argument at least a dozen times over the past few months. His position hadn’t budged an inch. If anything, he’d become more entrenched in it.
The music shifted then, and the DJ started playing something slow and romantic. Aris stood, offering me his hand. “Dance with me, Mrs. Christakis.”
I took his hand and let him lead me to the dance floor. Aris drew me close, one hand at my waist, the other holding mine. We moved together easily, finding our rhythm.
“A year ago, I never would’ve imagined this.”
“Neither did I, but here we are, yes.”
“Here we are,” I echoed.
We danced through two more songs before Domna came over, tapping Aris on the shoulder. “Let me dance with my son. You have her for the rest of your lives.”
Aris kissed my hand before releasing me. I stepped back, watching them move together.
“Dee.”
I turned to find Kevin standing there, hands in his pockets, looking like he wanted to be anywhere else.
“Kevin.”
“I, uh—” He cleared his throat. “I wanted to say congratulations. You look happy.”
“I am.”
There was an awkward pause.
“I should’ve treated you better,” he said. “When we were married. I know I messed up.”
“That part of our lives is over.”
“I know.” He looked down at his shoes. “I thought I still had a chance.”
“You never did.”
He nodded. “Your husband really doesn’t like me, does he?”
I glanced over at Aris, who’d finished dancing with his mother and was coming towards us. Even from here, I could see the tension in his body.
“No,” I admitted. “He really doesn’t.”
“I should go. Congratulations again, Dee. I mean it.”
He turned and walked away, just as Aris appeared at my side. “Are you alright?”
“Perfect.” I turned to face him.
He leaned down and kissed me, slow and deep.
When he straightened, his eyes were dark with promise. “Are you ready to leave?”
“The reception just started.”
“I have something planned. Something private. Just for us.” His hand slid down my spine. “Tia and Santo, they have agreed to watch the twins overnight.”
We hadn’t spent a full night alone since the twins were born. Between feedings and diaper changes and work, we were lucky to get a few hours of sleep, let alone privacy.
“Overnight?” I repeated.
“Overnight.” His lips brushed against my ear. “I want my wife to myself, yes. No interruptions. No babies crying. Just you and me, yes?”
My inner muscles clenched. “Where are we going?”
“You will see.” He moved back enough to meet my eyes.
As we descended the stone steps leading to the beach, Aris wrapped his jacket around my shoulders. His arm stayed steady at my waist as I navigated the uneven terrain in my heels.
At the bottom, the beach opened up before us, and there it was. His yacht. Anchored at the private dock and lit up with lights strung along the railings.
“Aris,” I breathed.
“I told you,” he said, his voice low and satisfied. “Tonight, it is just for us.”
He led me down the dock and helped me aboard. I took in the candles and rose petals scattered across the polished wood, while champagne chilled in a bucket nearby.
“You brought me back here,” I said, turning toward him. “To the place where you ruined me for any other man.”
“Correction,” he replied, leaning closer. “It is the place where we ruined each other.”
As we pulled away from Thalassía, I looked back one more time, seeing the lights from our reception still glowing in the distance. The island grew smaller as the yacht cut through the dark water, leaving only the sound of waves.
I turned away from the island and toward my husband.
He took my hand and led me to the railing. We stood there, his chest pressed against my back, losing track of time as we listened to the sound of water lapping against the hull.
“Do you know how long I have been waiting to get you alone?” His lips brushed the curve of my neck.
“About three hours.” My voice was already breathless.
“Three hours too long.” His mouth traveled along my shoulder while his fingers found the tiny buttons running down the back of my dress. “I have been watching you in this dress all evening, thinking about taking it off you.”
He worked the buttons slowly, kissing each inch of skin he exposed. The cool night air hit my bare back, stealing the air from my lungs.
“Aris...”
“Shh.” Another kiss, lower this time, between my shoulder blades. “Let me take care of my wife.”
My wife. The word from his lips sent a pulse of want through me. It always did.
The dress loosened around me as he continued his path downward, his lips trailing fire along my spine. When he reached the small of my back, his hands slid around to my waist, steadying me.
“Turn around,” he murmured against my skin.
I turned to face him. The look in his eyes made my knees weak. Hunger. Possession. Love. All of it there, burning in those dark depths.
He slid the dress from my shoulders, letting it pool at my feet in a whisper of silk and lace. The candlelight flickered across my skin as he stepped back, his gaze roaming over me.
“Beautiful,” he said, his voice rough. “My beautiful wife.”
Then his mouth was on mine, claiming me with a kiss that promised this was only the beginning of our wedding night. His hands roamed my bare skin, urgently, possessively, pushing me against the railing.
“Agápi mou,” he growled against my lips. He broke away to trail ardent kisses down my throat, over my collarbone, lingering at my breasts before dropping lower.
He knelt before me, gripping my thighs. He hooked both of my legs over his shoulder, spreading me open. The cool breeze kissed my exposed skin, but his mouth was fire.
His tongue delved between my folds, savoring every slick inch. I gasped, fingers tangling in his hair, my back arching against the railing as he sucked on my clit. He swirled and teased until my legs trembled.
“You taste like heaven, wife,” he murmured, his Greek accent thick with desire. Then he buried his face deeper, lapping at me relentlessly, drawing out moans I couldn’t hold back.
“Aris... don’t stop,” I breathed, hips bucking against his mouth.
He didn’t. Not until I shattered, crying out into the night as ecstasy ripped through me. The stars above blurred as I rode out every pulse of pleasure.
Before I could catch my breath, he rose. I reached for him, yanking at his shirt buttons, exposing his broad chest.
“Your turn.” I shoved the fabric off his shoulders.
He chuckled, shrugging out of the shirt and letting it fall to the deck. Then he unfastened his pants himself, shoving them down along with his boxers.
His hard length sprang free, thick and ready. Naked now under the stars, he pulled me close again.
“Now, Dede,” he commanded, his hand wrapping around my neck in that possessive grip I loved, lifting me against the railing.
My arms slid around his neck, pulling him close, as I wrapped my legs around his waist. The metal was solid against my back as he positioned himself.
He slammed into me, gripping my ass with his other hand as the sea air whipped around us. I clung to him, meeting every thrust with rolls of my hips.
Aris angled just right, hitting my G-spot over and over, building that intense pressure only he could coax out. The kind that made me lose all control.
“Yes... harder, baby,” I panted, my voice breaking as he drove us both to the edge.
The sensation swelled, building higher and tighter until it burst. I screamed, gushing my release, soaking us both.
Lord, only Aris had ever made me do that.
He followed right after, his movements becoming erratic before he shuddered. He came, holding me tight against him as if he’d never let go.
We lay on the deck afterward, tangled together under the open sky. The stars were impossibly bright, the way they only get when you’re far from shore.
Aris’s lips brushed against my temple. “No regrets, wife?”
I thought about Montrose. About the life I’d left behind, the one I’d built here, and everything it cost to get from one to the other.
“Not a single one, husband.”
~ * ~
Books of characters mentioned in this story:
Tia & Santo (Slightly Reckless)
Santo's revenge plan takes an unexpected turn when he falls for Tia, the woman meant to be collateral damage. Now he must choose between vengeance and the love he never saw coming. Read it!
Kayla & Konstantin (Slightly Married)
A marriage of convenience binds Konstantin and Kayla, but passion and secrets blur the lines of their agreement. With loyalties tested and hearts on the line, they must choose between duty and a love neither expected... Read it!